Crowdfunding enables company to fund orphan disease research and continue its efforts to improve health and well-being
Research Triangle Park, NC (September 28, 2016) — Cloud Pharmaceuticals Inc., a cloud-based drug design and development company, today announced a crowdfunding method to finance orphan drug discovery for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Zika virus. The company believes it can fast track these developments using its rapid discovery platform that combines artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and molecular modeling to design novel drugs.
“ALS and Zika virus have devastating effects on those afflicted. But research is limited because of each disease’s orphan status,” says Ed Addison, CEO of Cloud Pharmaceuticals. “The diseases affect a relatively small percentage of the population, so there is less incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in efforts to treat or prevent the diseases. Crowdfunding enables us to fund that work and continue our efforts to improve health and well-being through the computational design and rapid development of new therapies.”
Targeting the mutations that cause ALS
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, attacks certain cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to keep our muscles moving. There are currently 30,000 Americans affected, and many live only 2 to 5 years after first signs of symptoms. The only currently approved therapy extends life by just 2 to 3 months.
ALS is caused by a mutation in an enzyme in the human body known as SOD1 that is responsible for keeping normal cells safe by converting reactive oxygen to water. To date, over 100 different mutations in SOD1 have been linked to inherited ALS.
These mutations change the structure of the protein, making it more “sticky” and leading to protein aggregations that lead to a blockage of multiple cellular functions. Cloud Pharmaceuticals intends to target its drug molecules against this SOD1 aggregation to prevent the harmful SOD1 protein-protein interactions.
Designing small molecules to target the Zika virus
The mosquito-spread Zika virus has largely dominated the news. Few in the Americas are immune. The virus belongs to a virus family that is similar to multiple other diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile virus. The Zika Disease, caused by the Zika Virus, originates from the tropics and is transmitted by Aedes egypti mosquito, as well as by intimate person-to-person contact.
Cloud Pharmaceuticals plans to use the known homology among different members of this virus family to design small molecules to target the Zika virus’ harmful activity in the human body. The company also has the potential to design programs that tackle other viruses from the same family, like dengue or yellow fever, for which there are currently no drugs.
Taking the next step
Upon the success of initial drug design efforts, Cloud Pharmaceuticals’ plans to continue designing more successful compounds and developing those compounds either with partners or in-house.
To learn more about Cloud Pharmaceuticals and this initiative, please visit the company’s crowdfunding page at https://www.fundable.com/cloud-pharmaceuticals.
About Cloud Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cloud Pharmaceuticals is committed to improving health and well-being through the computational design and rapid development of new therapies. Its proprietary Quantum Molecular Design process combines AI and cloud computing to search virtual molecular space and applies along sophisticated molecular modeling to design novel drugs. The process enables faster drug development progress at lower cost and a higher success rate and better targeting of hard-to-drug indications. The company partners at all stages of drug development – from discovery through the clinic – and is building an extensive product pipeline that spans a wide range of indications. For information visit www.cloudpharmaceuticals.com.
